Crushing device



March 26, 1968 H. H. CAIN 3,374,730

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32 26 34 40 HALL H. CAIN,

3 INVENTOR. 38 8 E 2 BY M ATTORNEY 3,374,730 Patented Mar. 26, 19683,374,730 'CRUSHING DEVICE Hall H. Cain, RR. 4, Spencer, Ind. 47460Filed June 13, 1966, Ser. No. 556,995 4 Claims. (Cl. 100-233) ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A can-crushing device, power-operated, in which thecrushing is achieved by a compound relative movement of crushing Walls,the movement first being primarily longitudinally of the can axis,thereby achieving a can- Weakening effect with relatively little power,and subsequently the movement being primarily transversely of the canaxis achieving the can-crushing with relatively little power after thecan has been weakened.

This invention relates to a crushing device. More particularly, conceptsof the invention provide a can-crushing device with advantageousfeatures of action.

Various products are marketed or sold in metal cans or other disposableor throw-away containers which provide an effective service ofproduct-packaging. However, the volume or bulk of these containers,which is a desirable characteristic for holding the desired amount ofthe product, is a disadvantage when the product-contents have been used;for the container-size then renders the discarding of these containersbothersome. Several of the empty containers, in their original size andshape, when accumulated by the user, often present a nuisance, bother,or inconvenience to the user, to store or dispose of in a trashreceptacle or other disposing means.

Crushing of such empty containers often requires either extracontainer-cutting operations, to weaken the container for ease ofcrushing, or requires considerable power or force; for, to beserviceable in its product-packaging operation, the container hasconsiderable rigidity built into its design and construction.

Accordingly, concepts of this invention provide a crushing device whichhas advantageous features of actuation and action, which willeffectively achieve a desired crushing efl'ect without extracontainer-cutting being necessary, and without the power requirements ofcrushers not utilizing the concepts herein set forth.

In carrying out the invention in the illustrated embodiment, there isprovided a device having a crushing chamber, at least one wall or memberthereof being powered and guided so that it will move both axially andinwardly against the container being crushed. Further, at the beginningof the stroke, the movement is relatively more axially than inwardly,and at the end-portion of the stroke, the movement is more inwardly thanaxially.

This achieves, with relatively little power, a weakening of thecontainer-rigidity at the early portion of the stroke; and at the endportion of the stroke, relatively little power is required to effect amore direct collapsing crushing of the container.

The above description is introductory and generalized for brevity; amore detailed description of the concepts and features of the inventionnow follows, of an embodiment illustrative of the inventive concepts,reference being had to the accompanying somewhat schematic anddiagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a crushing device according to anembodiment of the invention, a front cover plate removed to showinterior details;

FIG. 2 is a detail view, in substantially smaller scale, lookingdownwardly, taken generally as indicated by viewline 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a pictorial exterior view of the overall device.

As shown in the drawings, in the illustrative embodiment of theinvention, there is provided a crushing device 10 having an opening 12in its top wall 14 to accommodate the reception of a container 16 to becrushed. The container 16 drops into a crushing chamber 18, and restsupon a movable support 20 to be described below.

The front and rear walls 22 and 24, respectively, of the crushingchamber, are shown provided by the front and rear walls of the overalldevice. Those walls '22 and 24 usually are not engaged by the container16 during crushing, ex'cept occasionally they would support thecontainer 16 against tipping.

Crushing is shown as actuated by powered relative movement of the leftand right wall or abutment members now to be described.

An important concept of the invention is that at least one of theopposed crushing walls moves both axially of the cont'aineras well asinwardly thereof, thus achieving a container-weakening collapse of thecontainer as well as a flattening thereof.

Accordingly, the left crushing-chamber wall 26 is shown as provided on apowered bracket 28, the bracket 28 being illustratively shown as poweredby an electric motor 30 through suitable reduction gearing 32, and apower arm 34 keyed to the reduction gearing 32 so that the arm '34sweeps or revolves under power. Total travel, or are movement of the arm34, is only ninety degrees. The outer end of the arm 34 is freely joinedto the bracket 28. Direction of movement is indicated bymovement-indicating arrow 36.

The bracket 28 is guided, as by guide lugs 38 engaging tracks 40 carriedby the top frame wall 14 and bottom frame wall 44 respectively, so thatthe bracket 28 translates in an orbital movement which is circular inthis illustrated embodiment, carrying with the bracket 28 thecan-crushing wall or abutment 26 which thus also has a movement which isaxially and inwardly of the crushing chamber 18.

Opposin the right crushing-chamber wall 26, the right chamber-wall 46 isshown as non-powered, and stationary except as hereinafter set forth,the right wall 46 providing the reaction support for the container 16.

The relative movement of left wall 26 and right wall 46 is thus bothtoward one another (in a direction inwardly of the container 16) andlongitudinally of one another (in a direction axially of the container16).

More specifically, at the beginning of the power stroke of wall 26, itsmovement is mostly axially of the container 16, thus beginning anaxially-forced deformation or collapse of the container walls, withrelatively little movement in a direction inwardly of the container. Ina subsequent stage of the travel of arm 26, the movement of arm 26 issubstantially wholly in a direction inwardly of the container 16. Thisactuation achieves desired cancrushing effects with relatively littlepower requirement.

The right wall 46 is shown as supported on adjustment screws 48, whoseadjustability permits the user to vary the size of chamber 18. Anejector bar 50 is shown as carried by wall 46, a rod 52 being connectedto bar 50 and extending through wall 46. A compression spring 54,carried on rod 52 between bar 50 and wall 46, urges the ejector bar 50leftwardly to loosen any can which would somehow cling to the wall 46;and an access opening 56 accommodates access to the head 58 of rod 52,the opening 56 being provided in the right outer wall 60 of the device10 permitting the user to strike the head 58 of icgd 52 if the spring 54does not dislodge the container Each adjustment screw 48 is shownthreadedly engaging a frame-carried boss 59.

The container rest or support 20 is shown as a rod 62 also extendingthrough wall 46, and also through the right outer wall 60; and after thecan-crushing operation, the

and an enlargement 70 on rod 62, to bias the rod 62 to can-supporting(leftward) position; and a convenience knob 72 is provided on the outer(right) end of the rod 62 for grasping by the user to manipulate the rod62 t efiect a release of the crushed container 16.

It will be understood that means for stopping the movement of the arm 34and bracket 28 will be provided, as 'by, conventional means for breakingthe electric circuit rendering circuit-closure by main actuator switch74 in- 'elfective to continue travel of wall 26, and return means willpermit return of the arm 24 and bracket 28 to the position shown, readyfor the next crushing operation, 'after the crushing operationhereinabove described.

Of course, any crushing of the container, in any direction, may andusually does have the effect of both a weakening and a compressingcrushing the container; but for simplicity and emphasis of statement,these aspects are described as though they are independent effects ofthedifierent components of direction, and thus the scope is not to beconsidered as limited to the obtaining of these efiects independently.

Co-operating with the adjustability of size shownas by adjustment screws48 (the bottoms of which carry enlargements which turn in small brackets76 mounted on wall 46), there may be provided suitable load-limit clutchor slip means (not shown) in the power train, as of an over-riding typewhich slips as soon as a certain amount of resistance is encountered.

It is thus seen that a crushing device according to concepts of thepresent invention provides novel and advantageous concepts and featuresproviding for crushing of articles such as empty containers by forcedirected in two directions, that is, axially and inwardly of thecontainer, achieving the weakening and flattening efiects described,minimizing power requirements and achieving a crushing device ofrelatively small and convenient size.

Accordingly, it will be seen from the foregoing description of theinvention, according to the embodiment to illustrate the inventiveconcepts, considered with the accompanying drawings, that the presentinvention provides a new and useful crushing device having desiredadvantages and characteristics, and accomplishing the intended objects,including those hereinbefore pointed out and others which are inherentin the invention.

Modifications and variations may be effected without departing from thescope of the novel concepts of the invention; accordingly, the inventionis not limited to the v 4 g specific form or arrangement of componentsor features herein described or shown as illustrative of the inventiveconcepts, in the particular embodiment disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. A crushing device having opposed wall members between which anarticle to be crushed is adapted to be disposed, and means relativelymoving said wall members initially in a direction primarily relativelylongitudinally of one another and subsequently in a direction primarilyrelatively toward one another, thereby obtaining crushing actuation by acombination of powered engagement of the said article initially in adirection which weakens the. article by relative movement of itsportions in a direction longitudinally of the wall-members, andsubsequently in a different direction which compresses the weakenedarticle.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which oneof said wall members is carried in an arcuate path, the curvature ofwhich is such as to guide the said one wall member to an initial primarylongitudinal relative movement and to a subsequent primary inwardrelative movement.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 in a combination in which the,moving one of said walls is carried on a bracket member, and in whichthe moving means includes a power arm which revolves in a circular pathand is connected to said bracket member.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which meansare provided to support said article in a position in which its axis isat least generally parallel to the said wall members, and the initiallyrelative longitudinal movement of the wall members applies a force tosaid article to tend to force portions of said article relativelyaxially thereof, and the subsequent relative movement of said wallmembers toward one another applies a force to said article to forceportions of said article relatively perpendicularly to the axis thereof.

References Cited BILLY J. WILHITE, Primary Examiner.

